Strasbourg dominates Monaco and consolidates its place on the Betclic Élite podium
Like Asvel on Saturday night in Pau, Monaco could not count on the return of the Betclic Élite to forget its European concerns. The Roca Team lost in Strasbourg on Sunday afternoon (99-90) and saw their second place threatened by the Alsatians, behind the leader Boulogne-Levallois.
Forty-eight hours after showing a combative face against Milan in the Euroleague, ASM had all the trouble in the world to offer the same defensive effort to Rhénus. Paris Lee (16 points) and Donatas Motiejunas (15) helped Zvezdan Mitrovic’s players stay hung on to the score (49-49 at halftime). But the start of the third quarter-time conquering the SIG made a first difference.
Roberson as a detonator
The poison John Roberson (23 points, 7 assists, 5 interceptions) returned a winning shot plus the fault before shifting Jaromir Bohacik for another long distance success (66-51, 25th). Groggy, the Roca Team found their senses in the last quarter, with the same recipe as against Asvel on Tuesday: serve Donatas Motiejunas inside. The Lithuanian strong-winger brought his own to four points (76-72, 33rd).
But the inevitable Roberson gave air to the SIG and the Monegasque attack fell back into its failures (20 stray bullets). Blunted by a hellish schedule, Zvezdan Mitrovic’s players will have only three days to breathe. From Wednesday, the Euroleague will send them to Lithuania to challenge the Zalgiris Kaunas (7 p.m.). For their part, the Strasbourg residents are moving to Paris, next Saturday.